Sweet November
by laviere
Summary: The inevitability of Sasuke's life takes a surprising twist when he falls in love with Hinata, a new mother, in a world where they'd both rather be anywhere but Konoha. SasuHina AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Notes: I don't like NaruHina idc idc idc. If you're looking for a NaruHina lovechild then guurrllll. Get ready for disappointment.**

 **The rating will probably change too who knows.**

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Sasuke had been walking at a pace fit for an abandoned cub; because not only was he alone, but in no hurry to get anywhere in particular. He'd just finished a mission and he enjoyed his solitude on the way back to the village, and the joys that had come thereof was precious time used to think.

About the village and its future; Naruto was to be Hokage.

As he trekked along in the sunset he thought about his future after everything he'd done to procure revenge to the nth degree.

It truthfully exhausted him to think about his past, it felt as though his emotional capacity had reached its peak—fatefully injuring the means for him to feel anything ever again. Not to say he didn't have emotions, his humanity's hold on him was painful, as much as he tried to throw it to the wind in his adolescence. He just had difficulty 'emoting', as it were. Everything tasted bland to his emotionally seasoned palate.

It left him in a confusing purgatory—perpetually in a state between not minding anything or not caring about everything (that is, if the hypothetical topic on which he neither minded nor cared about was something that drew his attention at all, which was also seldom, but that was particular to his one-track mind).

The predicament of reflection upon his every action during adolescence made him sigh, but he could not think about the future without inspection of his turbulent past.

And the person at the forefront of his mind when he thought about said future was Sakura, and their subsequent relationship.

Their past was ugly and overflowing with the awkward, desperate, unrequited love that Sakura radiated through thick and thin. He felt guilty for the way he treated her, brushing her aside and thinking her and the way she felt to be disgustingly pathetic. Sakura was someone that he thought to be beyond help, and he'd always hoped she'd move on, because deep down the recesses of his mind, he admitted to still caring deeply for her.

But his feelings toward her had never completely mutated into anything remotely romantic. Then again, he doubted he could feel that way.

He hadn't thus far.

Still, he did want a semblance of normalcy regaled upon his life, and she was all he could think about when he thought he would start a family.

So perhaps he would talk to Sakura when he returned from his mission—as slowly as he walked.

These were his thoughts, and his mind was nearly set before he sensed it.

There was thick forestry around him, and the chilly air that was signature to autumn whispered along his ears and his wide eyes when he registered the chakra signature.

She'd left the village a while ago.

It wasn't too faint, but it wasn't strong, and it was…mixed, or rather diluted with something else that he couldn't recognise, but he knew what he sensed and he understood the familiarity of it—Hyuuga energy was strong. It made him pick up his speed in its direction, adrenaline jolting him awake as he began to bolt towards her.

And then her heavy breathing and pained, tiny whimpers could be heard so stopped and listened.

Sasuke walked through the thick forestry, surveying tress up and down when he thought she might be near.

Sasuke frowned when her breathing turned hollow and the surrounding nature almost drowned the volume of her voice.

"Hello?"

Sasuke turned to the direction of the voice and his eyes immediately widened a fraction of an inch.

He was caught by the generously overwhelming, dazzling gaze of her white eyes, wide and frightened like a dear in the headlights.

Her voice was panicked and out-of-breath but she was only a tree away. Sasuke approached her, the darkness that came with the setting sun engulfing her figure as she sat on the ground. Exhaustion haunted her posture as she slumped against the tree, her legs perched and apart in front her, a blue nightgown slicked with sweat clung to her, and so did her fringe, but the rest of her hair was tied back. It was odd that she would be sweating in the dry, cool atmosphere, and Sasuke was only momentarily phased by the largeness that was her pregnant belly, even with both her arms strapped around it protectively.

Hinata inhaled deeply before her tired eyes actually took in the man in front of her with a slight frown.

"Sas…ke-kun?"

It was a daunting realization when he noticed the lower half of her nightgown was covered in blood—and suddenly there was no time to waste.

The Uchiha approached her with haste, peeling off his cloak so as to provide warmth and covered her with it before scooping her up by cradling her neck and firmly grasping her knees. She was hot and she was shivering lightly—her skin slick with fever.

Hinata hissed, wincing at the involuntary movement and quickly rested her head on his shoulder while using the other to grip the fabric at her abdomen, exhaustion and excruciating pain borderline killing her inhibitions.

Not once did her eyes leave his face, suspended by the combination of shock and relief.

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Sasuke had luckily passed a small village not too soon before entering the forest.

It wasn't Konoha, but it was close enough that Hinata might not die. He had doubts about her survival when he felt the burning temperature of her skin.

He'd gotten her to a small clinic—really just a tiny building full of beds and medics.

After barking a few instructions to what Sasuke presumed to be her underlings, a midwife took Hinata to a small backroom, where they'd locked her as well as themselves in for several hours—promptly keeping Sasuke in the dark. Not that he necessarily minded, as long as they did their jobs.

He'd just sent word to Konoha and was waiting on the porch when a meek girl hesitantly approached him.

"Uhm…ano…sir?"

Sasuke blinked.

"Yes?"

She swiped a stray hair out of her face before looking at the ground, and the back at him. "Y-your _wife_ 's fever has broken and-and she's giving birth."

"OK."

The girl stared at him for an entire minute before turning on her heels and scurrying away.

Sasuke leaned onto the railing. It was odd that'd called him sir, but he decided to ignore it. He'd been coming to that same conclusion in regards to a lot of things as of late, things he couldn't deal with, or rather; didn't want to deal with.

Brushing that aside, he focused on the fact that he had found the previous heir to the Hyuuga clan pregnant and bleeding all over a forest floor miles away from Konoha. It was, in all honesty, a perplexing turn of events.

It was already dark outside, the evidence of his day had already set with the sun, and the moon was making her appearance, gradually. Sasuke watched her disappear and reappear from behind clouds, reminded of the roundness and shallow depth in the white shade of her eyes.

They were sans pupil and devoid of life up close—but Sasuke could've sworn that they _glowed_ …

"Excuse me, sir?" a stern voice presumably called out to him.

Sasuke turned and was face to face with and old woman in nurse's uniform. She regarded him as one would a naughty child, but Sasuke felt that way because the hard lines in her face resembled a maids' at the orphanage.

"Yes?" He regarded her in the unfazed calculated manner he did with basically everyone.

"This birth is…problematic. I assure you that there's no need to worry, though. This will just take time. Would you like a bed?"

It suddenly occurred to Sasuke that he didn't really care to go 'home', and he still hadn't received any word from Konoha about what was happening, and quite honestly it was none of his business. He'd done his part in everything.

He still didn't really have the patience nor the mood for Konoha, its residents, and its misgivings—and its persistently petty grip on his own.

Black-clad shoulders shrugged and the nurse raised a brow at the noncommittal gesture but remained silent, apparently awaiting a verbal answer. Sasuke's brow ticked.

"Yes."

The nurse bowed stoically and her shoes clacked all the way to Hinata's room.

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The bed was nothing to write home about—not particularly comfortable, but he wouldn't complain. Sasuke had slept on worse, and sometimes nothing at all. He doubted this box of a village could afford much more, anyway.

He laid himself down atop the sheets, rusted springs creaked with the motion.

Upon entering the place he'd realized there weren't many patients in the room; there were three. They busied themselves with reading, or sleeping while completely ignoring the agonized groans that would occasionally leave (what Sasuke would've liked to think was) the Maternity Room.

Or maybe they couldn't hear it, what with their sporadic placement around the room.

Being the closest to the door, Sasuke could hear, and couldn't help but feel _uncomfortable_.

Those noises had to do with a journey he wasn't ever a part of, and he was bathing in the sound of something that should've been intimate. Suddenly Sasuke regretted not correcting any of the nurses in their foreword assumptions about his relationship with Hinata. Then again; he truly didn't give a rat's ass at the time—it was even almost amusing watching their confusion.

Nevertheless he felt like a trespasser, but there was no guarantee that this would end anytime soon, so leaving the room to later return seemed redundant. Perhaps if he were younger he'd waste all that energy.

He sighed and waited, concentrating on the crickets rather than Hinata's pain as time headed deeper into the night.

All he knew about the woman was what Naruto had blabbered about. She was kind, beautiful, and the 'one that got away'. He hadn't expected…honestly _anything_ of her, but least of all this. He didn't listen well to Naruto's ramblings, he had a limited capacity, and these days instead of hitting him or anything childish of the like, he just ignored him. This was karma, obviously, because he couldn't for the life him figure out why she was in the middle of nowhere, in labour, and quite possibly dying.

If his memory was half a millimetre less astute then he wouldn't have recognised her faint chakra traces at all, never mind that it was linked to a similar and yet completely different chakra source that had muddied the waters—the baby.

Heaven forbid the father be present for the birth, whoever he was.

It dawned on Sasuke that he might never know; and he had no right to.

A few minutes had passed before Hinata's tiny wailings ended, and a few more before a nurse actually decided to inform him on anything, but as he lazily gazed upon the old woman he barely listened.

He nodded at her while she spoke.

She told him something along the lines of Hinata wanting to see him, and he couldn't entirely fathom why, but he didn't mind.

"Would you like to hold the baby?"

Sasuke frowned at her.

"No." He deadpanned.

Taken aback as she was, the nurse reserved comment and lead him to the Hyuuga's room. Once there, she politely excused herself, closing the door behind her.

Hinata looked weak. Strength and resolve had completely left her face, an imprint of exhaustion was what remained. The nightdress she wore had been replaced by a tan hospital-like gown, but she sat upright with her hand in her lap and steady breaths.

"Sasuke-kun."

She was absolutely drained, the way she spoke was meek and breathy.

"I sent word to Konoha." He informed her instead of returning her greeting.

Mild surprise and panic flooded Hinata's eyes, and Sasuke involuntarily felt as though he'd overstepped.

"I'm sorry," he wasn't insincere, but he only meant that he was sorry for assuming she wanted to be there. He'd also just assumed she wanted to survive, which this place could not promise.

"No…no, it's alright." The woman leaned back into the pillows and focused on the hands folded in her lap. "I'm just not ready to face Konoha yet."

With an understanding that was more heavy and guilt-laden than she'd know, Sasuke nodded.

"I just wanted to thank you, Sasuke-kun. You saved my baby's life, and I couldn't possibly repay you for that." Her eyes crinkled in the direction of the corner of the room, where the tiniest person he'd ever seen was nestled in a cot. The baby had midnight blue locks and a squashed, red face.

Sasuke thought it was ugly, but then again, it was stuffed in a tiny vessel for its entirety. He belatedly came to the conclusion that Hinata was quite tiny.

His attention was back on her.

"You don't have to repay me."

"That wouldn't be right…I didn't even expect you to stay."

Come to think of it, neither had he. It wasn't necessarily out of the goodness of his heart, but he was in front of her nonetheless. He didn't feel the need to mention that, though, so he just remained silent.

And what ensued from that decision was the third time in a single day that Sasuke felt uncomfortable. The silence was awkward but not unbearable until eventually Hinata looked at him kindly and said:

"Sasuke-kun, excuse me, I'd like to feed my son."

The Uchiha 'hn'd' and strode out of the room back onto the porch with a speed that wasn't entirely required. She spoke in soft tones, but there was a strictness there that was probably beholden of all mothers.

It was a light command, there was no room to argue—her every word held power.

The power of experience and pain, but an unbroken spirit.

Perhaps it was because he'd seen her at a weak point and her psychological recovery had remained undefined, if not more mature. Nonetheless, Uchiha Sasuke was intrigued.

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The next morning Sasuke was on the porch precisely at the moment he'd woken up.

The wind was soft and the morning was early. Twilight dusted his cheeks and the decision to head back to Konoha had been set in his mind.

"Would you like some tea, young man?"

It was the old nurse that had approached next to him, leaning on the railings at a respectful distance.

"No, thank you." Sasuke said, musing at how impolite he would've been in his pubescence. Time had powers greater than he'd ever know.

The nurse got a pack out from her uniform pocket and dug a cigarette out. "How about a smoke?"

Sasuke shrugged and took one. She then dug out a box of matched and lit it and then her own. He didn't mention the irony of a medic smoking because he didn't feel the need to, but the old woman blew out smoke and furrowed her brows.

"I'm too old. I've run out of reasons not to."

One would usually want to get a few more years behind them…but then maybe that wasn't enough. As for himself, Sasuke was extremely cautious about smoking, but he had tried it when the edge became too jagged. It helped. It had no long after effects such as drunkenness—but it worked for the moment.

"You seem like you keep to yourself, so I won't pry, but you seem too young to have run out of reasons yourself."

The nurse was sceptical but sincere.

"That isn't my child." Sasuke deadpanned, whether it was or was not her business wasn't on the table as a reason anymore.

"Oh, I know. Couples don't behave in that way." She waved her hand dismissively. "Tochunomura is small and unsatisfying, but it's a good rest stop for ninja, so if anything, I'm used to these kinds of things. That and, I've been a midwife for twenty-three years, I've heard every tale in the book…." She glanced at Sasuke for a moment. "You're wondering why word hasn't been sent to you, but rest assured, you can leave." The nurse exhaled loudly before jutting thumb in the direction of Hinata's small maternity room. "This woman's sister will arrive to pick her up, I was informed that she and her child will be taken to Konoha's hospital. So if you'd like; you can leave."

"Ah."

Sasuke knew he wasn't getting word because Tsunade was petty.

He turned to face her and found her less serious than she originally was.

"You want to leave too."

The woman's eyes crinkled at the corners and she laughed a short bitter laugh. "I did. I have. But home never moves with you. Eventually the wind blows strong enough to take you with it and you end up right back where you started."

"Hn."

Sasuke nodded, because out of anyone, he understood, and the old lady crushed the butt of her cigarette under her foot and went back inside.

He turned to leave.

Then he hesitated, only slightly, one foot on the first stair of the porch, because…

" _I'm just not ready to face Konoha yet."_

Perhaps she felt the same way too.

He took another step, and that momentum was enough to keep on going, if only because he'd long since needed a kindred spirit for his dubious feelings towards his _home_. All the friends he had, he needed, and he couldn't manage to give a fuck about anything else, much less a grown woman, who obviously had everything together, the support structure of her family, and a child.

" _I didn't expect you to stay."_

One of the many conclusions Sasuke had drawn about Hinata was that she had her every priority straight, and she understood that he had his, and he could appreciate that about her.

He could.

But she had come to the conclusion on her own that he was decent. It wasn't that he thought she wouldn't understand if he left, it was that that's where her every opinion on him would end. And he had too many about her for no reciprocity.

The very same momentum that took him away had driven him back to the uncomfortable bed outside the maternity room.

"Sasuke?" It was her soft voice, coming from a room he'd presumed was the bathroom.

"You sister will be here shortly."

Hinata's face wasn't as pale as when he found her, and the colour in her cheeks had been restored, pinched by her warm smile as if she knew he'd keep her company until then.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes: THE REVIEWS! Thank you guys so much, I was not expecting that response. Ya'll are amazing. Anyway, I wasn't in that much of a rush when it came to posting this, but I was a lil intoxicated while editing so...I might come back and fix things. I'm so tired, oh my goodness. I probably should've slept before uploading. But here we are.**

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It was a terrifying dull ache at the beginning.

She remembered the feverish panic, the ache turning into an uncontrollable _burning_ and the heat seared under her skin, each beat of her heart making it hotter until an eight year old boy was smiling at her innocently.

The pain had faded, tempered to a light drumming on the back of her skull. The Main House's garden glistened wet with perspiration, and two children wiggled their bare toes on the blades beneath them. The boy was holding out a flower…he said it looked like her hair. She knew she was smiling back, because he was kind to her.

The only one that was kind to her.

But the image was becoming hazy, it blurred and she began _burn_ again, harsher, but she wasn't worried for herself—what if she hurt the baby—?

Hinata's eyes whipped open and the breath she took in filled her chest. Her senses weren't yet back, she kept floating back to the boy. Feathery lashes blocked her vision, eyes barely open as she tried to catch her breath. One hand was clenched at the fabric on her abdomen, un-swollen from birth.

In the woods, she thought she would pass out from the pain, she thought her baby would die.

A dainty hand lifted the covers as her legs swung off the bed. Finding her footing at first was difficult, especially after birth, but she persisted, her feet and ankles ached, but they weren't swollen anymore. Her weight felt simultaneously lighter and heavier, it felt like switching bodies with a completely different woman.

Hinata reached the corner and bent over the tiny cot, watching the baby's chest go up and down. He was laying on his back with his hand in fists above his head as if in a victorious pose. Hinata smiled and hummed a satisfied hum at the precious image. It warmed her heart a thousand times over to see his features and his rose dusted cheeks.

She rested her left hand on his tummy, rubbing gently so as not to wake him. Even with his eyes closed she knew he had the milky white eyes of a Hyuuga. Delicate midnight tresses laid atop his head, making Hinata's eyes melancholic because he had the plum undertones her mother had. She knew her mother would've adored him. He was so beautiful it was a shame that she could feel his power, and the ensuing connotations flooded her with dread.

A disabling burst of uneasiness flooded her stomach provoking tears to her eyes, quickly falling down onto the mattress besides him as she blinked.

Hinata sighed heavily, watching her hand rub his belly, or more precisely, her ring-less finger.

"You know Tsukino-chan, you are the second little boy Mama has almost died for." She tilted her head slightly as she almost choked on a half-hearted giggle. "That trend could cause issues, couldn't it?"

The flow of her sorrow remained steadily running down her face. Hinata tried to steady her breathing to regain her composure but she had been strong for so long, willing away her every weakness for her little boy. Her hand stopped its calming motions as she began to slouch, slowly falling to her knees until she was crouched over her legs so that Tsukino wouldn't sense her distress.

"Don't worry," She assured, "you're the last."

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The little room that they'd placed her in was sans bathroom, and so she had to go into the main bathroom. The tap water didn't taste as clean as she would've preferred, and the food they'd given her tasted like ash and water, but then again she was also a spoilt, _spoilt_ Main House member. Hinata smiled humourlessly at that fact.

Oh, what a mess she'd made.

Her clan would surely have a few words with her, or for her if she let them. They wouldn't be open to accepting Tsukino either, not yet. If they couldn't then she wouldn't stay in Konoha for very long.

As Hinata washed her face she couldn't help but wonder how long she would stay Konoha, practically. She brushed her wet finger through her hair in an effort to comb a few knots out, and then set it all up in a loose bun atop her head. The women in the mirror had bangs and a nature of her regal upbringing, but she felt like the timid child she used to be.

Now that she was out of immediate danger, she had no idea what she was doing, or how she would protect her son.

She tried to procure a stance that was straight, but her every fibre still creaked with bruises that it was difficult to walk. She frowned at all the memories of her being scolded for her posture—it was never poor, just imperfect.

Nevertheless, she was bred to be proud, and she had to stay that way for far too many reasons now.

So, even though it hurt she would _stride_.

Her back was up right and her steps were as wide as she could have them as she made her way out of the bathroom. The first thing she noticed upon exit was that Sasuke was perched on the bed nearest to her door.

His expression was hard and unreadable, so she didn't try to read him. But still, she could barely believe that he hadn't left as of yet.

"Sasuke?" She questioned lightly, sounding much more relieved than she anticipated, and she inwardly scolded herself for that. She did not want him to feel as if he had to babysit her.

Sasuke looked at her with his stony gaze—the same gaze he'd given her when he'd found her, a look that Hinata was beginning to understand was not only calculating but a clear acknowledgement of her presence. She couldn't help but smile at the fact that he wasn't as cold as he seemed.

"Your sister will be here shortly."

The information he'd so readily provided would have slapped the smile off her face if she hadn't practiced composure all her life, though the surprise that shone in her gaze couldn't be controlled.

Of course they'd arrive as soon as they heard, why wait to speculate the damage? She would hyperventilate if it wasn't inevitable, if she hadn't been imagining the countless scenarios, some absolutely horrific and some that left her uncomfortable at best. All of them only made her smile falter slightly, because she knew Sasuke had meant well. She couldn't avoid it forever, and she had missed her family as she was sure they'd missed her.

Her father would be furious, though.

She looked into the pitch black eye that wasn't covered by his even darker hair. Sasuke had lost all his family, she must've seemed ungrateful in front him.

Hinata smiled tightly.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

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Night had fallen and it seemed something had delayed her sister.

Tsukino had remained undeterred in his crying for a few hours, and Hinata had no idea what possibly could've put him in such a sour mood. She'd changed his clean diaper twice, fed him, and sporadically rocked him in her arms.

Holding him calmed him down a few moments, lowering his scrams to tiny, tired mewls—but he would roar with life once she put him back down.

At first, she refused the nurses offers to help, but she gave in eventually to eat supper, which was two rice balls and steamed fish. During her pregnancy she craved rice almost every day, but fish made her nauseous. Her every need was catered to, and she hadn't seen or smelled fish in months. As the scent gathered at her nostrils, she couldn't help but anticipate her gut turning. Her expectations hung in front of her as she inhaled the ordinary smell of fish. And yet, the memory of how disgusting it was still prompted her to take tiny, tiny bites

Tsukino had eventually tired himself and the nurse put him to rest. It somewhat annoyed Hinata that he fell asleep in another woman's arms, but she was much too tired to analyse her irritation.

Hinata decided to get some fresh air and let the room air out.

Sasuke was settled against the porch's railing, silently looking at the sky.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, was Tsukino disturbing you?" Hinata gave him an apologetic look as she reach his side, but as Sasuke turned to face her, he was frowning in confusion.

"Oh." She laughed. "Tsukino is my son's name."

"Then yes."

It was never any less surprising to hear Sasuke's straightforwardness, if Hinata weren't amused she might've found it rude.

"I'm sorry. He's so sweet but he has quite a temper…"

Had she been in a better position, in a healthy relationship in which her circumstances wouldn't have been so dire, Hinata would've added _'Just like his father'_. She almost had, but she'd caught herself in time. The fact that her child was so much like his father put her between a rock and a hard place—it wasn't something that could be mentioned during jovial small talk.

Suddenly uncomfortable, Hinata stopped talking and instead looked at the sky, but her eyes caught sight of the full moon and she immediately looked at the dirt beneath them.

Silence blossomed between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Hinata had a feeling that Sasuke was not at all opposed to silence anyway, and she could appreciate his company without meaningless banter (or meaningful banter for that matter).

Something about Sasuke reminded her of a Konoha that she was so fond of. The Konoha that existed apart from the Hyuuga clan, or her lessons as an heiress, or the humiliating training she'd endured, or being groomed to be a wife.

Sasuke reminded her of a simpler time in the village, where he and Naruto would fight, albeit, endearingly. A time when every girl in nearest vicinity would pine for him, and that was the requisite for every girl of their age group (and secretly; a little bit older). He was always at the forefront of gossip, whether for his talent or his treachery. Not to mention; the rambunctious _Team Seven_.

Hinata looked at them and always thought they looked like they were having fun, it made Hinata miss her own team and her dearest friends. She wondered if she could even begin to explain all that had happened in the time she'd been gone, or if they'd been up to much in that time. Perhaps they had girlfriends, or gotten their hair styled differently at all—

Looking at Sasuke, Hinata knew he'd grown, even if she hadn't known him closely she simply knew it, but his calm demeanour remained intact. He had refined his calm, he didn't radiate arrogance anymore. He simply seemed unbothered, it made her envious.

"Sasuke-kun, do you have a significant other?"

Sasuke blanched slightly, turning to give Hinata a startled look. It made her blush but it also amused her that he'd pulled his face like that, all wide eyed and frowning, giving her a look that said 'have you been drinking?'

And then he looked thoughtful, as if mulling the answer around in his brain, until finally:

"No."

He took so long to answer that Hinata almost questioned it, but couldn't because just as he'd answered, he'd asked, "Do you?"

She hadn't expected it, but she supposed he chose the perfect time to become a conversationalist, because irony was the gods' humour. She wrung her hands.

"No."

And it was safe to say that their conversation involving anything personal ended there. But as much as Hinata wanted to keep to herself, she grew more curious by the minute and started asking questions about the village and its' residents, to which Sasuke surprisingly obliged, albeit mostly with short answers like 'yes', 'no', or 'I don't know' (but Hinata knew that in actuality he just didn't care).

In between were pleasant intervals of silence…Hinata wondered if Sasuke was at all curious about her situation.

If he was, he never let her know.

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His company made her forget.

Hinata mused this the next morning after Tsukino had woken her (with cries to the heavens) to be fed. The sun was still lazy behind the horizon, the world was an extraordinary indigo, and she'd let her mind drift.

Sasuke didn't pry, he didn't fill the room with a disrespectful droll of small talk, and because he respected her space his company made her feel less lonely. She didn't feel the burdens that would soon enrapture her in Konoha, and yet she was not swallowed too deep in her escapism.

Although a part of that could be attributed to the fact that he was the first recognizable human she'd been in contact with on Earth, a lot had to do with the fact that he complimented her reserved nature.

Right at the edge of his complexities, Hinata thought, Sasuke was a genuinely kind person.

He was…intriguing.

Tsukino shifted slightly, pulling away, his meal dribbling down his chin as he made unintelligible baby noises.

"Yes, Tsuki-chan, I know," Hinata agreed to his babble, using the designated cloth on her nightstand to clean his mouth and her chest.

She belatedly felt disappointed with the fact that perhaps the comfort of Sasuke's company would disintegrate once in Konoha. There have been worse tragedies, but the slightest bit of contentedness would've been enough to salvage her sanity. She dreaded facing her father.

But she couldn't postpone it.

There were exactly two knocks on the door before the old nurse let herself in—Hinata enjoyed this woman, she had _oomph_.

"Apologies for disturbing you Hinata-san, but your sister is here." She announced in that proper tone that reminded Hinata of the older women in the Hyuuga council, though she was infinitely kinder.

Hinata gave her a sincere smile, "Thank you, Sukimi-chan."

Anxiety began to bubble in her chest as she watched the nurse bow and back away.

"Wa— _wait_ , Sukimi-chan." The earnest with which she'd spoken made her pause. Sukimi turned to her. "I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused, thank you very much for everything."

"It's been a pleasure, Hinata-san." Sukimi regarded Hinata's quickly regained composure sceptically before nodding and leaving.

Hinata took a deep breath, as if inhaling her regality.

She was much too nervous, that stutter was completely unacceptable.

Her opalescent orbs were glued to the door as she tried to remain calm

Tsukino was restless in her arms, and she tried to soothe him by lightly rocking her arms up and down, her hand nestled under his small head, the warmth of his midnight locks soft against her palm. She hoped to temper his energy, but how could she when she exuded nervous tension?

Her heart was pounding against her rib cage, but her poker face remained. Even so, when the door clicked open she had to take in a shaky breath, nearly breaking her gaze.

Instead, she directed a loving grin towards her sister, who stood adorned in a fine silk kimono and an imperial presence.

"Hanabi, hello."

Hanabi faltered.

The perfected majesty with which she'd presented herself with had glitched, if only for a moment. It was slight but Hinata caught it. Then her gaze flickered to the bundle in Hinata's arms and as if a switch had been flipped in her genetic makeup; her eyes flooded with tears that immediately gushed down her cheeks.

She ran towards Hinata's side at such an incredibly pace Hinata's eyes barely caught her until she knelt beside her, head buried in the mattress space beside her thigh and bawling.

Hinata's smiled shifted, nostalgia and grief softening her features. Nostalgia because she'd missed her sister dearly. Grief for the time lost between them. Hinata repositioned Tsukino in her arms so that she could pat Hanabi's head, fondly remembered that Hanabi, although the heir to the Hyuuga clan and in the middle of being groomed for the position, was still her little sister. And she loved her dearly.

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"It's a shame I had to meet him under these conditions. I never knew you were pregnant."

Hanabi was rocking Tsukino in her arms as she paced the room. Hinata watched them, humming in agreement.

"Father's distraught." She cooed, her eyes gleaming at Tsukino as he giggled and gurgled. "The council was quick to discourage our involvement with you, but father wants to protect you."

"I'm glad, but I don't have plans to stay long."

"Neji doesn't even know yet, ANBU keeps him exceptionally busy I bet he'd drop everything though."

Hinata's eyes dropped at the mention of her cousin. She hummed in acknowledgement, turning her attention outside.

It was a cool autumn day. The ground was so pretty this season, the ground was alight with warm colours—pity, Hinata thought, looking out the window. The air did not reflect the heat on the leaves.

" _Nee-chan._ How can you be so tranquil?" Hanabi's scolding drew Hinata's full attention. "Where is you sense of urgency?"

"Panicking gets nothing done." Hinata attempted to smile to calm down, but Hanabi continued to fume.

"Yes but where are you going to go if not the Hyuuga Compound…" She trailed off, biting her bottom lip. "Why is the Uchiha here?"

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Yes. Him. Why is he here?"

Hinata giggled.

"Is Sasuke-kun still here?"

"I don't think so. Why would he need to be? Is he the actual father?"

Hinata made quick to ignore the sinking of her heart.

"There's no conspiracy or scandal, Tsukino was born of my husband."

"Then what's actually going on?" Hanabi stopped walking to point her beseeching eyes at her sister. "I'm worried, nee-chan."

Hinata kissed her teeth, running her hand along her belly.

She supposed she had to tell Hanabi everything. But not from the beginning.

"I killed him…my husband." She swallowed thickly. "I killed Toneri, Hanabi-chan."


End file.
